Kim Phuc, the little girl featured in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph in which she was naked while running from a napalm strike during the Vietnam War, has been given a great reprieve from her years of pain. More than 40 years after the fateful day, Phuc has been granted a free treatment for her burns through laser therapy by a Miami dermatologist, according to ABC 30 News.
"So many years I thought that I have no more scars, no more pain when I'm in heaven. But now - heaven on earth for me!" Phuc said about her treatment.
Phuc's painful ordeal started on June 8, 1972, when the South Vietnamese army accidentally dropped napalm on her village, Trang Bang, located outside Saigon. As she ran away from the burning carnage, she was photographed by Nick Ut, who then took her to the hospital to be treated. Phuc and Ut have since been close friends, reports New York Daily News.
Even after Phuc's initial burns healed, she still remained in constant pain due to the severity of her injuries. She once even stated that her pain was a "10 out of 10."
Thankfully, she met Dr. Jill Waibel, a specialist who treats burn victims. Waibel ultimately decided to offer her services for free. Using specialized laser equipment, the treatment might finally give Phuc a significant, permanent reprieve from the pain.
Phuc has already started her treatment at Waibel's clinic on Sept. 26. Due to the severity and the extent of her burns, it is expected that Phuc will need to undergo treatment for the next seven months.
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